Blood Feud
by Mantichorus
Summary: AU. What would the consequences be if Vincent escaped from the ShinRa Mansion several years before the beginning of the game? Fourth chapter up!
1. Nibelheim, 7 years ago: Break Out

_A/N: Yeah, I know. I shouldn't be starting on a new multi-chapter fic while I've got one ongoing. I'm sorry, both for starting this new fic, and for making everyone wait for another chapter of _Prisoners. _It's in the works, but I just can't get it to the point where I'm happy with it. As soon as it is, it'll be posted – I promise.  
__This fic is a big 'What If…?' AU fic. The basic premise is what would happen if Vincent had escaped from the coffin/crypt years before Cloud & co found him. I'll be looking at how Vincent's reappearance could have seriously changed the course of events compared to what we're familiar with. Of course, Vincent has a bone to pick with the Jenova Project, so don't be surprised when Hojo, Sephiroth, the Turks and the rest of Shin-Ra bump into him! The other members WILL feature – something that I'm big on is synchronicity – basically, the idea that the universe orders itself. Hence, it would be impossible for Vincent, Cloud, Tifa, Nanaki, Barret, Yuffie, Cid, Aeris/Aerith, and Cait Sith (or Reeve) to not meet. OK – on with the fic…_

_Disclaimer: All the characters, places etc. from Final Fantasy VII are the property of Square-Enix. I do not own a bit of it. Sergeant Naylor and Corporal Epke are my own creations (named after two of my friends, who are both very pleasant, unlike their characters...)._

_**Blood Feud.**_

_Nibelheim – Seven years ago._

The moon shone down, bathing the small town in a silver glow. By the village well, a young blond-haired boy is sitting, waiting for someone. He sighs, his breath misting in the cool air.  
If he had been told it was so, he would have found it hard to believe that less than a mile away from this tranquil scene, hell is breaking lose.

* * *

"Arghhh!" One of the guards screamed as he fell, clutching at the point where the bullet had entered his forearm. A figure looking like a nightmare in red and black loomed over him, smoking pistol in one hand, his red eyes blazing like an enraged sun. He reached down with his left hand that was enclosed by a bronze gauntlet shaped like a claw, and wrapped it around the guard's arm. The guard screeched in pain. He pulled him up to eye level.

"How long?" He asked.

"Duh-don't know…" The guard stuttered through clenched teeth. "I a-arrived here thuh-three years ago…" He went silent as the pistol smacked into his temple. Vincent Valentine released his grip, letting the guard fall to the ground.

Only one guard… It didn't seem right. The sound of at least five machine guns being primed echoed through the tunnel. A ghost of a smirk crossed Vincent's face. _'Ahhh… Right on cue.'_

* * *

"Cloud…?"

"Tifa, uh, hey."

"Hi. Sorry I'm late. You said you wanted to talk about something?"

"Come this spring... I'm leaving this town for Midgar."

"...All boys are leaving our town."

"But I'm different from all of them. I'm not just going to find a job. I want to join SOLDIER. I'm going to be the best there is, just like Sephiroth!"

"Sephiroth..."

* * *

Vincent gritted his teeth as he took cover behind an outcropping in the cave wall. He hadn't been hit, but he'd run out of ammo. He loaded a fresh magazine into the pistol and primed it. He needed to make every shot count. He'd taken down three guards so far – all non-lethal shots, of course, no point in making these idiots suffer too much for others' sins – and two more seemed to arrive for each.

'_The study…' _Vincent suddenly remembered that some materia was kept there. He sprinted down the tunnel, firing a few shots at the guards to throw them off. He saw a bullet cutting through the air towards him. Instinctively, he deflected it with his gauntlet.

'_How the hell…?' _He wondered, and then decided he'd be better off working it out once he was safe – if he could ever be safe again… He dodged some bullets with preternatural speed, again without any conscious effort.

"How the hell does he do that!" One guard screamed. Vincent then heard the sound of someone running up the stairs. Obviously, one of the guards had had enough. He couldn't help but wonder what Hojo had done to him, too, for him to be able to do all of this. He'd think more on it later. He dived through the open doors to the study, and slammed them shut. He then placed a chair by the door – hopefully it would slow them down if just by a little… He started to search the room, turning furniture over and throwing books around frenetically like a red and black whirlwind. Then…

'_Got them!' _He thought, and slammed the materia into place when…

BANG! The door burst open, followed by a smoke grenade. As Vincent froze for a second, deciding what to do, bullets tore through the smoke, gouging smoking holes in him. The sudden adrenaline shock was too much, and Vincent fell to the floor. The guards strode through the smoke, guns pointed at him. A maelstrom started to burn in the depths of Vincent's soul…

"There've been some advances in military tech since you were last awake Valentine." One of the guards said, the colour of his uniform giving his status as the leader away. "Infra-red imaging goggles being one of 'em."

'_No… not this again…' _Vincent thought, fighting to keep the energies threatening to engulf him back by sheer willpower alone.

"Say goodnight, freak." The commander said, levelling a tranquilliser gun at Vincent.

"No." Vincent said, in a voice much deeper and wilder than his own. "YOU say goodnight."

The study was rocked by an invisible shockwave, and became lit by a hot orange glow. Balefires started to stream towards Vincent's body, creating a half-sphere of pure energy around the former Turk. The sphere erupted in a wall of embers, revealing a creature that looked to have been unleashed from Hell itself.  
The Galian Beast roared.

* * *

"Umm, if you get really famous and I'm ever in a bind... You came save me, all right?" Tifa smiled sheepishly.

Cloud stared at her. "What?"

"Whenever I'm in trouble, my hero will come and rescue me. I want to at least experience that once." Tifa sighed.

Cloud's forehead creased into a slight frown. "What?"

Tifa pouted at him. "Come on--! Promise me----!"

Cloud shrugged, sighed and shook his head. "All right... I –" He didn't get any further, as the Shin-Ra Mansion that lurked in the shadow of the mountains that rose above the town exploded, as flames shot from the windows. Cloud stared at the fire. He could hear gunfire coming from the mansion, he could hear roaring, he could hear…

…Tifa sobbing.

"C'mon, Teef, we gotta get outta here!" He shouted above the noise, crouching down next to her.

* * *

The roar of the flames was deafening to Vincent's ears as he pelted up the spiralling staircase. What had happened when he transformed, he wasn't sure, but some of the guards had been killed. He cursed softly under his breath at himself. He hadn't meant for anyone to be killed here…  
He reached the exit from the basement, and bolted through the door. Flames had engulfed this part of the mansion too… But the resulting change in air pressure had blown the windows. Vincent launched himself at the gap in the wall…

* * *

Tifa was frozen, there was no way he was gonna be able to get her to move… Cloud said some words that he knew his mother would disapprove of.  
People were starting to come outta their houses now, to see what the noise was. Tifa's father looked over, saw his daughter crouched down, and went to help her when –

"Oh my God, something's just leapt out!" Someone cried. Everyone stopped and looked, until it was obvious that the figure was going to tear through the town. Whatever it was, it landed with a light _thump! _as it hit the well. Cloud couldn't help but stare. It looked like a man, with black hair, red eyes, and red and black clothing with some sort of metallic claw.  
Slowly the figure's eyes swivelled in their sockets until they met Cloud's eyes. The figure raised an eyebrow at the boy, before leaping off again, disappearing into the night in a storm of crimson and jet.  
The fire at the mansion was now forgotten.

* * *

The guards poured out of the mansion, those who were alight dropping to the floor and rolling to extinguish the flames. One of the guards looked around.

"Oh, shit!" He moaned. There was no sign of the sergeant, which meant he was now in charge, which meant it came down to him to… He pulled the PHS device out of his pocket, and pressed a number. There was the sound of the dialling tone, followed by a ringing, followed by…

A sigh. "This had better be important."

The guard gulped. "Professor, this is Corporal Epke… Sir, Valentine's escaped and Sergeant Naylor's down."

Professor Hojo swore over the PHS. "Well? Anything else?"

Epke gulped again. "Sir… He transformed and burnt down the mansion. All of the data stored in there… And the mansion itself…" The PHS buzzed the disconnect tone in his ear. "Sir? …Professor?"

* * *

_Midgar._

Hojo glared into the distance, pure fury written onto the scientist's usually calm face. Now Valentine was free he might try to interfere with his projects…

A floor below the Professor's laboratory, a young Wutain man in a dark navy suit put down a phone, and pressed his lips for a moment. Then he tapped the keyboard at his desk, bringing up a list of Shin-Ra personnel. Tseng narrowed his eyes. He'd heard the name Valentine before. Time to see what Hojo'd been up to…

_A/N: And so the first prologue finishes… Please R&R._


	2. Nibelheim, 5 years ago: The Dragon

_A/N: Thanks for all of the encouraging reviews, guys. For me, there is no greater praise than hearing that people have enjoyed reading one of my stories. And sorry for the delay in posting._

_OK – this is the second prologue, this time set five years before the start of the game. Once again, we return to Nibelheim – Nibelheim, five years before the beginning of the game, I'm not going to insult your intelligence by telling you who's gonna be in this chapter. So, without further ado…_

_Disclaimer: Square-Enix owns all of the characters and places mentioned by name in this chapter. I am in no way affiliated with them. I have, however, named the second MP on the Nibelheim mission._

* * *

_On the road between Cosmo Canyon and Nibelheim – Five years ago._

Vincent watched intently as the truck rumbled along the road towards the town, his clothes and hair clinging to his skin, due to the downpour of rain that had started earlier in the day. He sighed lightly. The reports of the creatures from the Mako Reactor had obviously reached the Shin-Ra -- so much for his hopes of getting the job done quietly. He'd just have to do the job quicker. He fingered the waterproof pouch at his waist restlessly. He was glad that he'd been able to slip one away without anyone noticing, but he still felt guilty, as they had taken him in as one of their own. He inhaled sharply as a shadow dropped in front of the truck.

"Looks like they've got a welcoming committee ready for you…" Vincent muttered as the dragon roared angrily at the truck.

* * *

The rain pelted down sharply. Zack shook his head. "It's sure raining hard."

"Uggghhhh…" One of the Shin-Ra MPs groaned.

Zack winced sharply and turned around. "Jeez, Cloud, you OK, man?"

"…I'm all right." The younger man muttered.

Zack shrugged. "Must be tough. 'Course, I wouldn't know... I've never had motion sickness." He glanced over his shoulder at the other MP. "And you, Greg? Everything OK?" Greg waved and nodded the affirmative.

"Hey." The general said, one aquamarine eye opening and looking at Zack. "Settle down." He turned to Cloud. "Try taking your helmet off, that might help." Cloud nodded and removed his helmet.

"Heh. Sorry, Seph." Zack chuckled. "They gave me some new materia before we left. I can't wait to use it."

Sephiroth rolled his eyes. "…Just like a kid." He muttered despairingly.

Zack raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "You gonna brief us about this mission?"

Sephiroth closed his eyes tightly and counted to ten. "Lieutenant… We were briefed before we left Junon…" The general rubbed his eyes. "OK, listen up: Our mission is to investigate an old Mako reactor. There have been reports of it malfunctioning, and producing brutal creatures. Then, we'll locate the problem and neutralise it."

"Where's this reactor to?" Zack asked.

"Nibelheim." Sephiroth answered with a puzzled frown on his face.

"Whuh -- that's where I'm from." Cloud said bewilderedly.

"He---ey!" Zack grinned. "Homecoming. Looking forward to meeting anyone again?"

"Umm…" Cloud bit his lip. He'd not told anyone that he'd failed to get into Soldier. He was hoping to try and avoid as many people as possible.

"Hmm… Hometown…" Sephiroth muttered under his breath broodingly.

There was a ferocious roar from in front of the truck. "Uh, Sir…s, something's just crashed down onto the road in front of the truck." The driver said shakily.

Sephiroth stood up. "Well, that would be our monster. Zack, with me. You others, stay here unless Zack or I call for help. Got it?"

* * *

Vincent watched as two men jumped out of the back of the truck. He couldn't see them properly through the gloom. He frowned. Surely two men was greatly underestimating their enemy's abilities?

Then there was a flash of lightening. Vincent's breath caught in his throat.

"Holy Bahamut…!" He choked out. He'd only seen blurred photographs of him before, but there was no mistaking those facial features -- he'd only ever seen one person before with a similar facial structure... Lucrecia.

"Sephiroth." Vincent breathed, and crouched down low on top of the rock where he was perched. Time to see Sephiroth's legendary fighting prowess first hand.

* * *

"Umm, did you just hear something?" Zack asked warily, eyeing up the dragon.

"How could you hear anything above this damned thunder and roaring?" Sephiroth replied, drawing the Masamune. "Let's take this thing down."

"With ya." Zack nodded, putting the strange voice he'd heard out of his mind for the time being. There was a blur to his right as Sephiroth dived at the dragon, blade held high. Zack took a breath, and followed the general, yelling a senseless battle cry at the top of his lungs. Sephiroth's blade pierced the dragon's heart and lungs, causing the monster to scream in rage and pain. Half a second later, Zack barrelled into the dragon, sending it reeling from Sephiroth's sword. The dragon glared at the two Soldiers and hissed angrily.

"Don't worry; it's already dead." Sephiroth said with a small smirk on his face.

"It's, uh, not dying quickly enough." Zack grinned nervously.

The dragon unleashed a torrent of flame at the Soldier general, narrowly missing Zack who yelped and leapt away in shock. The flames slowly died away, revealing Sephiroth unharmed. The dragon growled in frustrated rage. Sephiroth's eyes narrowed, and then they rolled upwards, showing just the whites. He started chanting timeless words that hung in the air longer than any sound had any right to. To Zack, it felt as though his whole body had started reverberating to the rhythm of the words.

The chanting suddenly stopped ominously. Sephiroth closed his eyes, and then opened them wide. The Mako glow made the eyes look charged with some otherworldly power. The 3rd level Ice spell started to chill the air, eventually manifesting in the wound of the dragon that Sephiroth had caused only two minutes before. The power and cold caused by the spell was too much for the dragon's already weakened constitution. It let out a death cry, and slumped down at the side of the road, it's hide blistered by the freezing cold.

Zack let out a low, appreciative whistle. "My materia sucks."

* * *

Vincent looked on, astonished. Every rumour he had heard about Sephiroth's strength, which he had thought to be exaggerated, was miles off the general's real strength. Sephiroth was far stronger than even the most gifted storyteller could hope to describe. He shook his head to clear it. He had to focus -- he had to get to Nibelheim, but that meant crossing the river, how could he--? No, that was too insane.

Vincent couldn't help but grin slightly at the idea. He watched Sephiroth and the other Soldier climb back into the truck, and then rose from his spot.

* * *

Cloud, Greg and the driver were staring at Sephiroth as he climbed back in. Sephiroth raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"It's the first time they've seen you in action." Zack shrugged and shook his head. "It's mind-blowing the first time you see it."

Sephiroth shrugged nonchalantly. "If you say so." He looked at Cloud. "You said Nibelheim was your hometown. Do you have any idea where I may have heard of it before?"

"U-uh…" Cloud stuttered, still in awe of Sephiroth's strength and slightly afraid. "W-well, just before I left two years ago, a mansion that belonged to the Shin-Ra burnt down, and…" Cloud stopped. The memory of the man he saw that night burned in his mind, and it frightened him more than the presence of the general.

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. "…And…?" he prompted.

"…Uh, no-one really knows why." Cloud finished lamely.

"Hhn." Sephiroth grunted, obviously dissatisfied.

"..." Zack lapsed into deep thought. "Think it might have something to do with what we've been called in for?"

"Is Hojo a creepy annoying bastard?" Sephiroth replied dryly.

"That a rhetorical question, or have you taken one too many blows to the head?" Zack quipped back.

Sephiroth smiled slightly. "Hm. That joke was quite smart for you Zack."

By this point, the driver had restarted the truck and had almost reached the river, when what would have been an undoubtedly witty response from Zack was interrupted before it began by the sound of something landing on the roof. All of the people in the truck started, with the exception of Sephiroth.

"…The hell…?" Zack muttered, his forehead creasing.

"Nuh…" The driver began nervously, then cleared his throat, and continued with more bravado in his voice: "Nothing to worry about, sir. I'm sure it was just a… branch or something."

Sephiroth frowned again. "I don't remember seeing any trees…"

"There've always been some by the river between Nibel and Cosmo." Cloud mumbled.

"So we're…" Sephiroth began, before the splash of water cut him off. "Of course we are. Right." He sighed, dismissively. Due to Shin-Ra's preparations to deploy SOLDIER on any battlefield, the truck easily forded the river. There was another bumping sound on the roof as they pulled up the bank of the other side. Sephiroth saw something pass in front of one of the windows on the side of the truck and frowned.

Zack had turned his glance to the same window and saw the same dark shape. "That branch from the other side musta got brushed off by the trees on this side of the river. Stop being so tense, Seph."

* * *

Vincent dusted himself off, with a slightly insane smile on his face. He actually felt somewhat embarrassed that that had worked. Pity he hadn't taken the trees into account. He tested his face, but he could feel the few scratches that he'd gained already closing. After checking that the package was still fine, Vincent loped off through the driving rain after the truck. He wasn't looking forward to his return to Nibelheim, but sometimes needs must.

* * *

_A/N: Shin-Ra don't pick 'em for brains, obviously._

_Again, sorry for the delay. I had planned to get this flashback done by now. However, the Nibelheim Incident (in this reality, the SECOND Nibelheim Incident) takes a lot of covering. Considering how many continuity rewrites SE have given the actual Seph-goes-crazy scene, you'll forgive me (I hope) for taking some liberties with the happenings (although I could argue it's due to Vincent being loose...)._

_Anyway, Sephiroth's mission to Nibel will continue next chapter, in which Zack will do something completely stupid -- try to take Vincent in a fight. And no, that's not a joke._

_Please R&R._


	3. Nibelheim, 5 years ago: The Bridge

_A/N: Aaaaand the third prologue...heh, I bet some of you are wondering how in the heck you can have more than one prologue. I'm basing all of these as prologues as they occur before the game FFVII starts - that's the present day, if you like. While AC is some alternative future now or some such..._

_Well, sorry for the delay and thanks for all of the reviews for the previous chapters, guys._

_OK, Nibelheim. Last time, Sephiroth and Zack followed in St. George's footsteps and slew the dragon, while Vincent watched on. Vincent then, umm, crossed the river by hiding on top of the truck that Zack and Sephiroth were in with Cloud...I just thought: why didn't he just clamber underneath? Being the writer, I should really know that...oh, the truck was going too fast for him to do that, and if he had anyway, he'd get wet, so...yeah._

_So: here's the next chapter, now with added continuity! Well, I've played Dirge of Cerberus and Crisis Core. Actually, completed the main story modes for both. Some of the side missions? Not so much. Again, I hope you enjoy the story, and none of the characters or places are my property._

* * *

It was shortly past noon by the time the truck rolled up to the outskirts of Nibelheim. The two SOLDIERs were the first to disembark, with the two infantrymen with them soon after. As Sephiroth went to give the driver his instructions, Cloud paused for a second, before reaching back in to retrieve his helmet.

"Uh, Cloud…?" Zack asked, amused.

"Gotta look the part…" Cloud mumbled, fumbling with the klatch to reaffix the helmet in place.

Zack shrugged. "OK man. Just hurry up, or we'll both get behind and Sephiroth will have both our asses as an early lunch."

"I heard that, Lieutenant!" Sephiroth said, from the front of the truck. "And for the record, both of your asses combined don't have enough meat on them for how hungry I am right now."

Zack winked at Cloud. "That's what he says _now_…" He then turned towards where Sephiroth was standing. "And hey! I'm a Lieutenant-_General_, so why do you always call me Lieutenant?"

"Even if you call a dogsbody a general-dogsbody, he's still a dogsbody, not a General," Sephiroth said dryly, coming around the corner with a jovial smirk. "Come on, we have a job to do." He turned to Cloud. "You don't want to let your hometown down now, do you?" he asked, with no hint of irony.

"No, sir," Cloud answered.

Sephiroth nodded. "Good man. Now, you're local, so you no doubt know where the hotel we're staying at is. We're due to start out to the reactor first thing tomorrow, oh-six-hundred hours, so until then, you're free to go visit your…kith and kin, friends and family, whatever you want to call them."

* * *

It was the final few moments of dusk, before night truly set in by the time Cloud left his home… his mom's house. He wasn't afraid to admit to himself that he'd been hiding from the other people in town (especially Tifa and her Pa) so they wouldn't find out he hadn't made it into SOLDIER. As it was, it'd taken a lot of swallowing his pride before he'd been able to admit it to his mom. As typical with mothers, she was completely understanding and comforting, not to mention proud with her son anyway.

One thing she'd said had dug itself quite firmly into Cloud's mind though, that Tifa had been asking his mom about him a lot. It coupled up with the fact that he'd recognised Tifa waiting at the town gates, and the look of disappointment on her face --

--Huh. Cloud paused for a second and frowned into the darkness. Weird, for a second there, he could've sworn he'd seen something move at the edge of town. Must have been a trick of the dimming light. Still… He shuddered as a feeling of premonition ran down his spine.

Vincent breathed a sigh of relief as the infantryman started walking back towards the hotel. For a moment, he thought he'd been spotted. He'd put off trying to enter Nibelheim until darkness fell, and the moment of impatience had almost been his undoing. Vincent shook his head. It was too late to get to the reactor now, he'd have to camp out near the mountain trail.

With the silhouette of the ruined mansion standing out against the first newly risen moon, Vincent slipped through the quiet streets of Nibelheim.

* * *

The next morning, Zack lead the party along the mountain trail towards the Mako Reactor.

"Umm, if you don't mind me asking…" Tifa said, a few steps behind him. "Why hire a guide if you're going to walk ahead of her the whole time?" Despite the joking tone, she sounded slightly nervous.

"You kiddin'?" Zack asked, throwing a glance over his shoulder. "You have any idea what your father would do to us if anything happened to you?"

Sephiroth nodded solemnly from the rear of the column. "I killed a dragon on the way here, an honest-to-Minerva dragon," he said. "But your father still scares me."

By now, Tifa was swallowing back giggles. "Oh, stop it, both of you!" She recovered her composure. "There's a rope bridge just ahead, past that corner," she said, pointing, sounding more confident. She paused for a moment before continuing; "It's a bit rickety I'm afraid, but it should be stable enough. I mean, it's only broke once before, but that was years ago and it's been mended since then."

"Wait, it's broken before? Is that safe?" Greg, the second infantryman accompanying them asked. In contrast, Cloud said nothing. He'd made his situation clear to the others last night, and they'd agreed to protect his anonymity as much as possible.

"Hey, chill," Zack said. "I'll go on to check it out." With that, the energetic SOLDIER broke into a sprint, easily leaving the others behind. Zack personally thought the bridge sounded safe enough, as long as they took things stead --

As Zack turned the corner, he saw that there was someone already crossing the bridge. His mind raced, forming a preliminary report: about Sephiroth's height, that suggested a male; long hair, dark, probably black; gauntlet -- interesting, shaped like a claw, dull-goldish colouring; red cloak, ragged, mid-calf length. The figure turned (confirmed: male, around mid-to-late twenties) at the sound of the stones disturbed by Zack's stride.

"Howdy friend," Zack hailed, noting that the man's hand automatically slipped to hip height, the movement causing the cape to momentarily reveal a holster. Friend? Yeah, right. The garb the stranger wore was like nothing worn in Nibelheim, while the pose he had subconsciously assumed… He had received training, no doubt of that. Maybe even Turk level.

After a minute's pause, the stranger turned away from Zack. "Walk away, SOLDIER," he advised, in a weary tone that suggested he knew Zack wouldn't take his advice, but he could still hope.

Zack shook his head. "If you know what I am, you know I can't," he said.

The stranger shook his own head. "Foolish pride," he muttered.

Zack smiled to himself. "Not quite. Foolish honour," he said.

The stranger chuckled at that. "Well, if that's the case, then it would be an insult to ask you to walk away again," he said, turning back to face Zack. The two men stared at each other for a moment, before the stranger drew his gun. Zack wasn't an expert on firearms, but to him it looked to be incredibly similar to the model favoured by the Turks.

"Do you have a name, friend?" Zack asked, drawing the Buster Sword.

This seemed to throw the man off balance for a second, and then he answered. "Names are to be put on gravestones and to be signed on messages. You won't kill me today, and I have no plans for killing you," he said. "Now, do we have to continue this stupidity?"

"You said it would be an insult to ask me to walk away again," Zack reminded him.

"So I did. My apologies," the man said.

"No worries," Zack replied.

With that, battle was joined.

The gunman threw Zack off-balance slightly by taking the initiative and swiftly closing the gap between them, the arm holding the gun held across his body. _'So that's how it's gonna be, eh,'_ Zack thought to himself, arcing the Buster Sword through the air. However, his opponent had already made it inside his guard and used the knuckles of his gauntlet as a sword-catcher.

Zack smiled grimly and instinctively reversed his swing to free the blade. The gunman grabbed the Buster Sword with his gauntlet before bringing his feet up to propel himself off the blade like a springboard, the bridge swaying ominously as he landed a few yards away from Zack.

This time Zack took the initiative and charged onto the bridge after his foe. The gunman casually loosed a couple of shots in Zack's direction. He easily deflected them both using the Buster Sword with a deft flick of his wrist. They clashed again, the gunman again using his gauntlet preternaturally to divert Zack's swordsmanship. There was no doubt in Zack's mind now -- the speed, the strength on display; his opponent had to have been enhanced.

Zack pushed in further into his opponent's guard, searching the glaring crimson eyes for the faint but telltale glow of Mako energy. There was something there, something like a Mako glow, but…darker. A half-remembered phrase flashed through Zack's mind: stagnant Mako. Could his opponent be infused with stagnant Mako?

"ZACK!" Sephiroth's voice carried easily through the pass, the senior SOLDIER no doubt summoned by the sound of battle. Zack allowed himself a small moment of triumph. All he had to do was hold out a few seconds longer… However, the momentary distraction did the job, and the gunman used his whole body to force Zack back. As the SOLDIER regained his footing on the bridge, he saw his opponent had already reached the opposite end of the bridge. The man pivoted on his heel and levelled his gun at Zack.

"Farewell," he said, two shots echoing out almost as one…and flew past Zack on either side. It made no sense -- everything he'd seen made him doubt that the gunman would have missed if he'd intended to hit Zack, so what could he be aiming… Ah.

Before he consciously knew what he was doing, Zack found himself somersaulting backwards onto solid ground, landing on two feet and one hand, the Buster Sword extended out to his right. It was just in time, as the two bullets buried themselves into the knots holding the bridge up. There was a sharp _crack! _as the ropes frayed and then gave in, snapping, throwing the bridge towards the opposite canyon wall. Zack and the gunman held each other's gaze silently for a moment. Then Sephiroth rounded the corner in a shower of gravel and the spell was broken. The mysterious gunman took a backward step, before sweeping his cloak around himself and beginning to stalk towards the reactor.

Sephiroth watched him go with trepidation. "…So. Who was that?" he asked, nonchalantly.

"Didn't say," Zack admitted.

* * *

_A/N: Pheeeeewww! Well done for reaching the end of this chapter. I for one didn't think I would. Hope you enjoyed it. Please leave any praise and/or suggestions for improvement on future chapters in your reviews, folks._


	4. Nibelheim, 5 years ago: The Reactor

__

A/N: welcome to the next installment of "Blood Feud"... the fourth prologue? Sheesh, how many more prologues am I gonna do? Um, two, actually. Or maybe three. I've explained before, but it's before the beginning of FFVII, so I count it as a prologue.

_Anyway, thanks for the previous reviews! Hope you guys all like the continuation. And, as always, I don't own any of the characters in this fic. Or this would now be canon..._

* * *

"A Quicksilver? Are you sure?" Sephiroth asked in muted tones. The group was now walking in a column with the two infantrymen, Cloud and Greg, on point; Tifa, their guide, following just behind; and the two SOLDIER members at the rear. Sephiroth had been questioning Zack over his encounter with the unknown gunman at the rope bridge, while Tifa had been able to find them another, albeit longer route to the reactor. However, if the suspicions of both Zack and Sephiroth were correct, they would arrive long after the gunman had reached the reactor.

"I don't know! Seph, if acing the firearms recognition test was mandatory for joining SOLDIER, I wouldn't have even made Third-Class! It's the only subject I flunked!" Zack said. "Hell, until you named it, I didn't even remember the guns used by the Turks were called Quicksilvers!"

"Somehow, I'm not surprised," Sephiroth smiled. "But, to be honest, firearms aren't my forte, either." His demeanour turned dourer. "If our suspicions regarding his destination are correct, then we need to hurry. Especially if your suppositions that he's possibly had Turk training has been enhanced, or worse, both are correct. Either theory would worry me, but the idea that both are right... and if he is heading for the reactor..." Sephiroth shook his head.

"You think that's bad? You haven't heard the worst of it: I think he was holding back as much as I was," Zack sighed.

"You held back?" Sephiroth asked.

* * *

Vincent moved so swiftly through the reactor that his pace would have left after-images in most people's eyes. He swung onto ladders, only to let go and drop the last few feet, clanging as he landed on the metal walkways. Finally, he reached the centre of the reactor - the very heart of darkness itself. As long as the specimen hadn't been removed from this site, anyway. Vincent stalked slowly to the door and pushed it open.

The pods were new.

Vincent entered the door, his eyes only on the writing at the very back of the room, scrawled above the only other door to this room: JENOVA. He took this as a good indicator that the abomination was still here. He paused in mid-stride and, out of morbid curiosity, checked the nearest pod. A thrill of revulsion shot through him at the sight that greeted him.

"There but for the grace of a god go I," Vincent muttered, a small spark of pity flaring inside him for the poor unfortunates who had met this fate. It actually made what he had planned an act of mercy. He chuckled darkly to himself as he realised he was about to do the work of a Turk.

"All evidence of company misconduct...must be erased," he said, quietly addressing the rows of imprisoned experiments. "...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

* * *

"Oh, but... this is beautiful!" Tifa gasped in delight at the spectacle ahead of them.

Sephiroth's eyes flicked wearily to it and then away again. "A mako fountain," he said, in a tone which suggested he'd seen too many for them to still hold any true wonder for him. "I might explain how they form on the way back, if you wish. And if we have time, which I must stress we do not have now."

"But..." Tifa looked disappointed.

"No," Sephiroth said.

"Ah, the General's right, Tifa," Zack said. "We're still not sure what that weird guy I fought earlier was up to, but he seemed to be heading towards the reactor, which could be bad for Nibelheim."

Tifa frowned and tilted her head to one side. "This... weird guy... What did he look like?"

Zack shrugged. "Long black hair, red eyes, clothes colour-coordinated to match," he said.

In response, Tifa swung her head sharply to one side to hide the apprehension in her eyes. "...No..." she murmured, before falling silent. The only one of the group to hear her shared her sentiments. Cloud still remembered that night, too.

* * *

Vincent could feel something crawling up his spine - the uncanny feeling that he was being watched. He cast a glare at the unseeing eyes of the metallic facsimile of Jenova covering the tank it was held in.

"Quit staring at me," he muttered, feeling ridiculous as he did so. He reached into his pouch and placed one of the packages over the figurehead's face. It was a vast improvement.

Getting into a fight with that SOLDIER had been foolish on so many levels... Chief amongst them, however, was how delicate the packages were. If the SOLDIER had landed a clean hit on him, the results could have been...

Vincent shook his head to clear the image of a blossoming fire from his mind. Grabbing hold of a heavy duty cable, he swung himself around to the side of the tank and attached another block of plastic explosive to the glass. He allowed himself a smile as he realised all he had to do was attached one more block to the other side of the tank to ensure Jenova's complete destruction, and then he would be fin --

Vincent paused and turned his head to one side. There was someone - or something - in the reactor with him. He slowly edged back to the walkway. Once his feet were on solid ground, he drew his Quicksilver and softly crept towards the door.

"Just so you're aware," a voice Vincent didn't recognise said. "I already know you're there, so any further attempts at subterfuge are pointless." Vincent had frozen on the spot the moment the man had started talking, and listened intently. All of his instincts as a former Turk - plus those of his... other selves - were telling him the man wasn't bluffing.

"Why are you so intent on destroying evidence pertaining to Project S?" the man asked. The question took Vincent by surprise. It implied the person knew that the Jenova Project had been comprised of two competing arms, which complicated the situation significantly.

"Oh, I believe I see," the man continued. "You're one of the Turks, aren't you?"

Deciding that inaction would only exasperate matters, Vincent made a decision and stepped into clear view. "I have little interest in evidence regarding the Jenova Project. My aim is to destroy Jenova itself," he said. "In answer to you last question... I am _formerly_ of the Turks."

The man standing before him was a sight to behold. Once auburn hair was turning prematurely ash grey. His clothes looked to have had more wear and tear than their owner had lived, despite seeming to have been custom tailored to him. Most tellingly of all, however, was the SOLDIER emblem around his waist.

The SOLDIER chuckled. "I wasn't aware they allowed Turks to retire, any more than we SOLDIER are allowed to," he said. "However, I am an ex-SOLDIER, so I guess that you, too, are a renegade." He bowed stiffly, as if his back was no longer as supple as it used to be. "Genesis Rhapsados, seeker of the Gift of the Goddess."

"Vincent Valentine... lovelorn," Vincent replied with a slight inclination of his head. He had once read LOVELESS, and the phrase Genesis used was familiar to him. "...So, you're in the late stages of cellular degeneration? Then I take it you must be part of Hollander and Gillian's program, Project G." Vincent shook his head. "Looks like Hojo was right about the risks in Hollander's methods."

Genesis had looked at Vincent the moment the former Turk had mentioned cellular degeneration, and his eyes had narrowed, betraying more suspicion with each passing word. "I beg your pardon?" he said, before understanding dawned behind his eyes. "Of course. Valentine. The Turk from Project S who was reported M.I.A. Still so young after all these -- " Genesis paused and considered something. "Did you just say Hojo predicted cellular degeneration before Hollander began Project G?"

Vincent suddenly had the vague feeling he may have said too much for once. "...Something like that," he said. "It was one of many reasons why Hojo told Hollander and the President that Project G was doomed from the outset."

Genesis was nodding, but he didn't seem to be truly listening. "I see... then, perhaps the professor was too hasty in telling me he couldn't help me. Perhaps Hojo would be more worth my while than Sephiroth," he said.

Vincent decided this had gone far enough and calmly levelled his gun at Genesis. However, it was at this point that a wing cracked into existence over Genesis' left shoulder. Vincent recoiled in shock. Even considering his own genetic modifications, this seemed... exceptional.

The single wing beat at the air, sending its owner upwards through the reactor. "Thank you for your advice, Mr. Valentine," Genesis called down. "Perhaps we shall meet again."

Vincent narrowed his eyes at the retreating SOLDIER. That had been a waste of time, one that Vincent felt he would pay for in more ways than one...

* * *

Zack and Sephiroth had overtaken the rest of their group to take point in the final approach to the reactor. Shingle sprayed everywhere as they sprinted the last few yards, the unenhanced humans behind them gasping for breath as they tried to match the pace.

Zack couldn't see anything out of the ordinary at first, and gladly put his worries down to paranoia. Sephiroth strangled that hope however, by skidding to a halt and drawing the Masamune in a single flawless movement.

"The sunlight glinted off your gauntlet," Sephiroth said as Zack hefted the Buster Sword. "What little there is of it."

"I wasn't trying to hide," the gunman replied, detaching himself from the shadows of the doorway. When he glanced at Zack, the SOLDIER felt he looked disappointed in him.

"You're actively disrupting the duties of SOLDIER," Sephiroth said. "We're taking you in."

The gunman shifted his gaze to his wristwatch. Zack saw his jaw shift as teeth clenched. "DOWN!" the gunman said, before throwing himself face first into the ground. The others stared at him for a few heartbeats, bemused.

Then Sephiroth flew into action. The first Zack knew was hearing the General scream "DOWN!" at Tifa and the guys. He then realised that Sephiroth had sent him sprawling into the dirt. As he opened his mouth to complain, there was the dull thud of a vacuum forming around a newly formed flame.

The force of the explosion threw Sephiroth from his feet, the General landing badly. Zack could dimly hear Cloud screaming something underneath the explosion and realised it was the word "Tifa". Debris rained down around their ears, some pieces burning like meteorites.

Zack started to rise, shaking his head to lose the ringing in his ears. A quick glance was enough to reassure him Cloud and the others were fine - both infantrymen had lost their helmets during the explosion and Greg was dazedly crawling towards his, while Cloud was crouched protectively over Tifa. The guide seemed to be in disbelief at her friend's sudden appearance.

Zack scuttled over to Sephiroth. The SOLDIER general was unconscious and blood flowed from a head-wound, but his pulse was strong and his breathing was normal. Zack wasn't sufficiently medically qualified to guess about concussion. Thankfully, he could hear Greg calling for backup.

A shadow fell over Zack. "Do you remember... what I said earlier? About names?" the gunman asked. Zack heard a ripping noise.

Zack nodded. "About them being for graves and messages?"

"Right." A scrap of a red cloak fell at his feet. Zack picked it up and carefully wrapped it around Sephiroth's head-wound. "This is a message," the gunman continued. "For the ShinRa, especially Professor Hojo. Tell them, it's signed Vincent Valentine." There was a scuffle and Zack looked up.

Vincent had disappeared, only the wide-eyed looks of the others down the trail telling Zack he hadn't literally vanished. Zack shook his head - the only time he'd seen people move with speed like that was in training exercises with other SOLDIERs, when he was in Wutai and when he had fought against the Genesis copies.

Zack shook his head. "Next time, Valentine," he promised.


End file.
